Great Expectations (DVD)

...that he began to write Great Expectations.

All of Dickens's novels are largely character-driven, rather than plot-driven. This means that successful adaptations depend especially on the intensity with which the characters are developed by the director and the actors. As was often the case with the novels of Dickens, Great Expectations rambles a bit and the plot depends a lot on coincidence and chance.

DAVID LEAN (1908 ...
...after watching Lean's adaption of Great Expectations, that Lean had never read the novel before beginning the film. In fact, Lean's experience with Dickens was limited to a reading of The Christmas Carol


=== THE STORY ===

Set in 1830, the young Pip Pirrip(Anthony Wager) is an orphan who lives with his overbearing sister (Freda Jackson) and kindly brother-in-law, Joe Gargery (Bernard Miles), the village blacksmith. ... more

INTRODUCTION

In 1964 I was taken with school to one of our local cinemas (now ALL the cinemas in the town have gone) to watch David Lean's classic film 'Great Expectation'.
It was old, it was black and white - it was WONDERFUL!!

I have seen many adaptions of the book since that day 45 years ago, but I have never seen one that compares to Lean's film or that was so true to Dickens' book.

What a pairing - Dickens and Lean!!
Dickens's rich characters and gothic Victorian atmosphere combined with the unique and masterful direction of David Lean led to a true cinema masterpiece that has weathered the years well.

Last year I found a new DVD of the 1946 film and it is that DVD that I am about to review.

BACKGROUND

CHARLES DICKENS (1812-70)

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812 and grew up in poverty, when he was eleven his father spent a year in debtors' prison.
He knew all about Victorian child labour due to his time working in a dye warehouse. His writing skills though soon found him a job as a reporter, covering the House of Commons, for London Newspapers in 1837.
His talents were soon recognised and he wrote Oliver Twist between 1837-9, Nicholas Nickleby in 1838-9, Old Curiosity Shop in 1840-1, A Christmas Carol in 1843, David Copperfield in 1849-50, Bleak House in 1852-3, Little Dorrit in 1855-7, and A Tale of Two Cities in 1859, among other works.
It was in 1860 that he began to write Great Expectations.

All of Dickens's novels are largely character-driven, rather than plot-driven. This means that successful adaptations depend especially on the intensity with which the characters are developed by the director and the actors. As was often the case with the novels of Dickens, Great Expectations rambles a bit and the plot depends a lot on coincidence and chance.

DAVID LEAN (1908 - 1981)

David Lean was born on 25th March 1908 in Croydon, Surrey (now part of to Francis William le Blount Lean and the former Helena Tangye, who were Quakers.

In 1946 he was still at an early stage in his career as a film director. His first four directorial experiences had all consisted of adaptations of plays by Noël Coward, the most successful of which was Brief Encounter (1945), which won a Palme d'Or from Cannes.
Lean was sensitive to the criticism that he was conservative in his choice of source material and later became preoccupied with producing something both "lasting and original".
What I find amazing after watching Lean's adaption of Great Expectations, that Lean had never read the novel before beginning the film. In fact, Lean's experience with Dickens was limited to a reading of The Christmas Carol

THE STORY

Set in 1830, the young Pip Pirrip(Anthony Wager) is an orphan who lives with his overbearing sister (Freda Jackson) and kindly brother-in-law, Joe Gargery (Bernard Miles), the village blacksmith.

One foggy evening he runns across the dark marshes to visit the grave of his parents in the nearby churchyard.
Suddenly, amongst the gravestones, Abel Magwitch (Finlay Currie) an escaped convict from the nearby prison galleys accosts the terrified Pip. The man demands that the boy bring him a file and some food. Magwitch is recaptured the next day after Pip has taken him the food.

A year later and a wealthy old lady, Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt), invites Pip to come and play at her home. Miss Havisham is a lonely, crazy old creature who has shut herself away in darkness for many years because she was jilted on her wedding day. The wedding table Complete with decaying wedding cake) remains set as it was on that day. Miss Havisham has a beautiful adopted daughter called Estella (Jean Simmons), who she has brought up to be ladylike, snobbish, and cruel. The idea of man-hating Miss Havisham is to eventually set Estella to break as many hearts as possible and she intends to practise on Pip.
Naturally Pip does become overwhelmed by Estella's beauty and thinks about her day and night.
Pip decides that he wants to be a gentleman when he grows up, so that he can win Estella.

We then see Pip at the age of twenty, a secret benefactor, using the solicitor Mr. Jaggers (Francis L. Sullivan) provides Pip with an income so that he can go to London and live as a gentleman.

Pip (now John Mills) arrives in London and is set up as a roommate of Estelle's cousin Herbert Pocket (Alec Guinness) that he had met and fought with as a boy.
Pip gradually assumes the manners of the affluent people he has been mixing with and meets Estella (now Valerie Hobson) again as she has come to London to be introduced into high society.

In time, Pip discovers the identity of his patron, which leads him to new adventures.
Estella takes up with the snobbish Bentley Drummle (Torin Thatcher), but can it last?

Lean puts a bit of a different slant on the story's ending than in the novel, so you may be in for a surprise.

DIRECTION

Lean opens the film with a gothic, eerie and tense interpretation of the graveyard scene, where Pip meets Abel Magwitch, the escaped convict. This scene grabs your attention immediately while at the same time, the key characters of the story are efficiently introduced to us.

While the adaption is very close to the book some characters (notably Orlick) were left out, some subplots cut back, and some scenes have been shortened but this was all done to make Dickens' intricate plot more suitable for filming.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Guy Green, the cinematographer, won an Oscar for his work on the film.

In my opinion the magnificent black-and-white images and the gothic quality made the film, I don't think that it would have been as good in colour, the black and white filming emphasizes shadows, silhouettes and gloom. In fact colour technology was already well developed in 1946, so maybe Green and Lean made a deliberate choice to go with black and white.

The sets are effective in creating a 19th century England, in the smithy scenes you can almost smell the leather and feel the heat... Lean uses sounds to a fantastic effect. The opening scene is especially good; as Pip goes to the graveyard the creaking of the trees li and the howling of the wind add wonderfully to the atmosphere as Pip meets Magwitch. Later on in the film, , when Magwitch reappears in Pip's life, the wind is howling once again linking the two meetings through sound.
As Lean follows the life of Pip as a frightened young boy running across the Kent marshes to a wealthy young man in London society, he adds fantastic visual details and some wonderful characters and personalities that don't overpower the hero.

Through the film Lean shows blatantly ironic difference between the upper class dizziness in London and the rural honesty of Pip's childhood. This is perhaps the only way that Lean manages to dramatize of the social criticism that runs through Dickens' book.

CHARACTERS AND ACTORS

Great Expectations introduced two actors who would go on to great careers - John Mills and Alec Guinness. John Mills had the lead role in this film, as the adult Pip, and he gave a great performance Mills went on to appear in Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939), In Which We Serve (1942), Hobson's Choice (1954), War and Peace (1956), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), Ryan's Daughter (1970), Young Winston (1972), Gandhi (1982), and When the Wind Blows (1986)

Alec Guinness played the part of Pip's roommate, Herbert Pocket. Although it was only a relatively small part, his acting was very good.
We saw more of the actor in films like Oliver Twist, Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Lavender Hill Mob, The Man in a White Suit, The Lady-killers, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr Zhivago not to mention his appearance in Star Wars!

Dickens created great, characters, which led to plenty of opportunities for some of the minor characters.
Valerie Hobson and Jean Simmons pair up nicely as the adult and child versions of Estella, Finlay Currie plays a chilling and believable Magwitch, Bernard Miles is excellent as Joe Gargery, Francis L. Sullivan portrays the solicitor Faggers and Martita Hunt as the cold and eerie Miss Havisham was wonderful.

AWARDS

Great Expectations won two Oscars, for Best Art Direction and Best Black & White Cinematography (Guy Green). The film was also nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Adapted Screenplay

DVD

The DVD version of this film has a good digital transfer.The only disc extra is the original trailer. There's also a booklet with an interesting essay by Adrian
Optional English subtitles are provided for the hearing impaired.

Format: Black & White, Full Screen, PAL
Language English
Region: Region Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Classification: PG
Studio: ITV DVD
DVD Release Date: 12 April 1999
Run Time: 118 minutes
ASIN: B00004CYHO

Special Features
4:3 Full Frame
DVD 5
English
Region 2
Mono English
Mono
Interactive Menus
Biographies
Scene Access

CREDITS

Producer: Ronald Neame
Director: David Lean
Screenplay: Anthony Havelock-Allan, David Lean, Cecil McGivern, Ronald Neame, Kay Walsh; Charles Dickens (novel)
Cinematography: Guy Green
Art Direction: Wilfred Shingleton
Music: Walter Goehr
Film Editing: Jack Harris
Cast: John Mills (Pip), Anthony Wager (young Pip), Valerie Hobson (Estella), Jean Simmons (young Estella), Bernard Miles (Joe Gargery), Francis L. Sullivan (Mr. Jaggers), Finlay Currie (Abel Magwitch), Martita Hunt (Miss Havisham), Alec Guinness (Herbert Pocket), Ivor Barnard (Mr. Wemmick), Freda Jackson (Mrs. Joe Gargery), Eileen Erskine (Biddy), George Hayes (convict), Hay Petrie (Uncle Pumblechook).

CONCLUSION

This is a wonderful classic film that, in my opinion, fits into the category of films that should never be remade, like 'Gone With The Wind'. 'Casablanca', 'Rebecca' and 'Dr Zhivago' - the originals are always the best.

It is a film that stays in your memory for a long, long time.
I found that the the childhood sequences were the most memorable, but the whole film is full unforgettable images and colourful characters.
A must watch in my opinion.

Summary: This is one that you MUST watch !!
Oldchem said so!!

 

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